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Redefining Who You Are: Who Are You?
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By Tolulope A. Adegoke, Ph.D.
“Who you are is related to where you came from. Many look, only a few see!” – Dr. Myles Munroe
You need to remember that sculptors look at a work in a very interesting way. I am also an artist of sorts, so I have a bit of an understanding of how artists work. One thing I have learned is that you never argue with an artist until he is finished.
Don’t discuss anything with a painter or a sculptor until his work is completed. An artist can be very rude if you disturb him before he has accomplished what he intends to do, because he sees differently than those who are not artists. An artist can walk by the stone in your front yard and see a figure in it. He may stop by your house and beg you for a stone you have walked past many times without noticing. You may even have been planning to get rid of it because it’s nuisance. But the artist walks into your yard and sees something beautiful in that stone beyond what you can imagine.
Months later, when the artist invites you to his workshop he asks, “Do you see that? Do you know where that came from?” “Italy, England or France?” you asked. “No” says the artist. “it came from your yard.” “That’s from the stone I collected from your yard.” “Do you mean…?” “Yes.” One thousand Pounds, please.” You were sitting on £1,000. But you couldn’t see the potentials in the dirty rock. You never saw a “hero” in a “zero”. Therefore, the stone that was rejected by you has ended up becoming the chief-corner-stone.
YOU ARE NOT TRASH!
Many people are being passed by, under-rated, overlooked or ignored because others don’t see what is in them. But God has revealed to me what’s in me, and I strongly believe that it is in you too. I am charged to stop and inform you: “can you really tell what’s in you?” Do you know what carry is potential? Do you know that you are not just someone born in a slum? There’s a wealth of potential in you. There is a king in your kid. There is a hero in your zero. There’s a wealth of potential in you. There is a strength in your weakness.
Sculptors sees so differently. They use “insight” to create a “foresight”. A worthy exemplar in this context is Michelangelo. They say he used to walk around a block of marble for days – just walking around it, talking to himself. First, he would see things in the rock; then he would go and take them out by creating it from those pieces.
Insight like that of a sculptor is also seen in the Holy Bible. When the world dumps, rejects you and calls you trash, and you land on the dunghill (where the garbage heap of the world is found), God walks along and picks you up. He looks deep within you and see a person of great worth, whom He would use to glorify Himself by impacting the world around him or her.
Don’t ever permit anybody to throw you away nor call you trash. When God looks at you, He sees thing that everyone else ignores. God uses the foolish things of this world to teach the wise lessons. You are worthy so much that Jesus went to cavalry to salvage and reclaim you. The Spirit of God connected to your spirit is the only true judge of your worth. Don’t accept the opinion of others because they are blind enough such that they do see what God sees.
When God looks at you, He sees things that everyone else ignore. GOD LOOKED AND SAW… God looked at “dust” and saw Adam. God looked at Adam and saw a world. He looked at Abraham and saw many nations. In Moses the murderer, God saw a deliverer. Can you just imagine looking at a stammering young man and seeing one of the greatest leader in history? God looked at David, the Shepherd boy and saw a king. When the Israelites wanted a king, God had to send Samuel to the home of Jesse. When Jesse heard why Samuel was there, he dressed up all his sons – the handsome one, the tall one, the curly-haired one, the strong one, the muscular one. All the sons of Jesse twirled out before Samuel, from the greatest to the least. With his vase of anointing oil, Samuel watched Jesse’s show as he presented his sons, even as he read out their profiles one after the other. After the very fine speech, Samuel said, “No”. The next son came out dressed like Paulson Pat and God said, “NO”. A third son gave a fine speech about philosophy, and God said “No”. Finally, after Jesse had paraded all of his sons before him, Samuel said, “I am sorry. None of these is God’s choice for king.” Do you have any other sons, may be somewhere else? Then Jesse replied, “Yes…well no. I just remembered. I do have a little boy, my youngest son. He’s just a little runt who’s out taking care of the sheep. He’s not dressed up like my other sons, nor have his hands manicured and his body scented with perfumes from the East. This guy is really smelly, because he’s been out with the sheep for quite some time.” “Bring him,” Samuel replied. “Let me look at him”. So, Jesse sent for his youngest son. When Samuel saw Jesse’s youngest son walk into the house, a little boy, he began to unscrew the lid of his vase. “I think I found the guy I’m looking for,” Samuel said. (Please note that God chose the son who was working. He was busy. God chooses busy people.) Most of us are like Jesse. We look, but we don’t see. Were you the “black sheep” in your family? (you know God likes sheep). Has your family told you that you are a nobody? Have you been written off and put out and told so many times that you will amount to nothing that you have begun to believe it? Do you really feel like the black sheep?
You are probably the one God is waiting for in the house. God sees things deep within you that others can’t see. They look at you and see nobody; God looks at you and sees a worthwhile somebody. You may spend your whole life competing with others – trying to prove that you are somebody. You may spend your whole life competing with others – trying to prove that you are somebody – and you still feel like nobody. Be free from that today! Emancipate yourself from such mental slavery! You don’t have to live with that any longer. You don’t have to try to be somebody, because you are somebody with glorious worth. You need to remember that you came out of God. You were created in His Image and Likeness. So, it is an error on your part, to look down on who you are. When you look down on WHO you are, you are indirectly or unconsciously looking down on WHOM YOU ARE! Let your focus be on your CREATOR, not those that look down on you. Look up to the INVENTOR, not His INVENTIONS!
YOU CARRY GOD’S IMAGE AND LIKENESS
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. First, He decided what He wanted to make something out of and then spoke to that source. When God wanted plants He spoke to the dirt. When God wanted fishes, He spoke to the waters. When God wanted animals, He spoke to the ground. Whatever God spoke to became the source from which the created thing came. Plants thus came from the dirt, fish from water and animals from the ground. Furthermore, plants return to the dirt, fish return to the sea and animals return to the ground when they die.
All things have the same components and essence as their source. What God created is, in essence, like the substance from which it came. Not only are all things composed of that from which they came, they must also remain attached to their source in order to live. All things must be maintained and sustained by where they came from. The minute a plant decides it doesn’t like the earth anymore, it dies. The minute the fish decide they are tired of water, they die. The minute animals decide, “we don’t want to eat dirt anymore,” they begin to die. Thus, whatever God created came from that to which he spoke. All things were created by God’s word to a source. The source of the creation also becomes, the essence of that creation. All things are composed of whatever they came from, and hence contain the potential of that source. That means plants only have the potential of the soil. Animals only have the potentials of dirt.
But when God was about to created human beings, He spoke to Himself: “Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, in Our Likeness…” So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image of God He created him, male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26-27)”
God created you by speaking to Himself. You came out of God and thus bear His Image and Likeness. Therefore, carry yourself with the consciousness that you are of GOD. You carry His DNA. Whatever operates in God works in you, for you and also through you to the glory of God Almighty, in the Highest! And whoever looks down on you should be ready to face the wrath of your Creator, because God poured Himself in you to manifest on Earth through you. You carry the wholeness of God! You are not of yourself, but of God Almighty! Therefore, who you are is related to where you came from. MANY LOOK, only a FEW see!
Metro
International Day of the Girl-Child: Pad Me A Girl Foundation Holds Menstrual Health Outreach in Ogun
The Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation has taken its menstrual health campaign to Igbesa High School (Junior), in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, providing free sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene pamphlets, exercise books and pens to over 100 schoolgirls to promote menstrual health, dignity and education.
The outreach, held on Wednesday, October 21, commemorated the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child, whose global theme is “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”
The programme brought together girls from Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 to 3 who participate in the school’s reading clubs for mentorship, reading activities and menstrual health education.
It was convened by Oyelami Yetunde Anuoluwapo and Blessing Kappo, teachers and Teach For Nigeria Fellows at the school, following an appeal for sanitary products, learning materials and health education support. The Foundation’s founder, Theresa Moses, responded by providing the requested items and facilitating an interactive session on menstrual hygiene management.
Speaking at the event, Moses said she was inspired by the girls’ determination and aspirations, stressing the need for sustained investment in their health, education and future.
“Invest in girls and Nigeria will rise. Every girl deserves dignity, education and the right to dream beyond child marriage. That is why we are here; to ensure no girl misses school because of her period,” she said.
She emphasised that access to menstrual hygiene products and accurate information helps girls manage their periods confidently and participate fully in school activities.
In a letter of appreciation, Oyelami and Kappo described the outreach as impactful and inspiring, noting that it enhanced the girls’ understanding of menstrual health, hygiene and self-confidence. They also said the support would help promote the students’ hygiene, school attendance and dignity.
“You did not just give pads; you gave our girls confidence and hope,” the teachers wrote on behalf of the school community, expressing gratitude to the Foundation and hope for future collaboration.
Mrs Amarachi Eze, Assistant Divisional Commissioner of the Nigerian Girl Guides Association, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ogun State Branch, also commended the Foundation for supporting the girls’ hygiene needs and development.
“We sincerely appreciate the Management of Pad Me A Girl Foundation for joining hands with the Association in supporting our girls on hygiene management. May God Almighty continue to uplift your foundation. Thanks for joining hands in the development of girls in our schools. Bravo,” she said.
The Foundation’s Media Coordinator, Mr Oluwatosin Simon Faleye, called on corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support initiatives that address period poverty and help girls remain in school.
“For over a year, we have been committed to ending period poverty and keeping girls in school. We call on corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support this cause for the betterment of Nigeria,” Faleye said.
The celebration also featured a student drama presentation highlighting the effects of child marriage, alongside reading and mentorship activities designed to encourage the girls to understand their rights, value their education and pursue their aspirations.
The Foundation also acknowledged the continued support of its sponsors and partners, including Access Bank, Pro Star Sports International, BL Consulting, Vita Baites Foods, Checkers, Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the 10th Nigerian National Assembly, the Senate Committee on Women Affairs (SCOWAS), as well as individuals and media organisations whose contributions have supported its broader mission of ending period poverty, promoting menstrual health education and empowering girls and women.
Abia State governor, Alex Otti, is set to flag off the reconstruction of Uratta Road and Old Express Road in Aba, two major routes which poor condition has disrupted transportation, commercial activities and access to residential communities for years.
The governor’s media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma, in a statement on Wednesday, said that work on the roads has begun ahead of the scheduled official flag-off.
The two roads are considered important to Aba’s commercial and industrial activities, with Uratta Road connecting several adjoining streets to Port Harcourt Road and Old Express Road. At the same time, Old Express Road serves as a key route within the city’s industrial layout.
Ekeoma said the roads had suffered neglect for more than 24 years, leaving some sections impassable and forcing residents and businesses to contend with difficult transportation conditions.
According to the statement, Uratta Road provides access to more than 100 adjoining streets. Its poor condition has affected residents, traders and small-scale manufacturers who depend on the road to transport goods and access their businesses.
The statement said the road had become waterlogged and overgrown with weeds, discouraging commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators from using it.
Similarly, the deterioration of Old Express Road forced heavy-duty truck operators, fabric merchants, spare-parts dealers and small businesses to use longer routes, increasing transportation costs and affecting productivity.
The government said the road reconstruction is part of its broader effort to restore Aba’s infrastructure and strengthen the city’s commercial base.
Aba, one of southeastern Nigeria’s major commercial centres, hosts manufacturing clusters, markets, and small and medium-sized enterprises that depend heavily on functional roads to move raw materials and finished products.
The government said the reconstruction would improve market access, reduce transportation costs, facilitate the movement of goods, and support businesses operating along the affected corridors.
Ekeoma cited the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road as an example of the administration’s infrastructure programme, noting that improved road access encouraged shops to reopen, attracted manufacturing activities and increased property rents along the corridor.
The government also said the new projects would complement other road interventions in Aba, including works on Ohanku and Obohia roads, as part of efforts to improve connectivity within the commercial city.
Beyond road construction, the administration said its projects include drainage systems, solar-powered streetlights, and pedestrian walkways, which it described as necessary to improve safety, accessibility, and flood resilience.
Ekeoma said Governor Otti views infrastructure development as an economic strategy rather than merely a construction programme, arguing that better roads would help businesses operate more efficiently and create employment opportunities.
He also quoted the governor as saying at an earlier church event that his administration is shifting attention from basic infrastructure improvements to healthcare, education, technology and industrialisation.
The governor, a former bank chief executive, was elected in 2023 on the Labour Party platform, defeating candidates from the major established parties in a state historically dominated by the Peoples’ Democratic Party.
Otti has remained in the Labour Party despite the defection of its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
His administration has made rehabilitating Aba roads and public infrastructure central to its governance agenda, presenting the city’s recovery as essential to reviving economic activity across Abia State.
MILO Nigeria, in partnership with former Nigerian national team captain and MILO Brand Ambassador Ahmed Musa, has concluded the inaugural MILO × Ahmed Musa Sports Clinic and Tournament in Kano, providing 2,500 young footballers with professional coaching, mentorship and competitive football experience.
Over two weeks, participants took part in 10 coaching sessions and competed in matches under the guidance of Ahmed Musa and experienced coaches. The programme combined practical football training with lessons in teamwork, discipline, resilience and confidence, equipping participants with skills and values that extend beyond the pitch.
The initiative culminated in a tournament at the Ahmed Musa Sports Complex in Kano, where Khamis Football Academy emerged as champions of the inaugural edition. Participants also received cash prizes, certificates and football equipment.
Speaking on the initiative, Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah, Category Lead, MILO, said: “At MILO, we believe sport is a powerful platform for young people to discover their abilities, build confidence and develop values that extend beyond the field of play. Our partnership with Ahmed Musa brings together MILO’s longstanding commitment to sports development and the experience of an athlete whose journey from grassroots football to the highest level of the game can inspire the next generation. By combining his experience with structured coaching and competition, this programme has given young footballers in Kano an opportunity to develop their skills, learn from experienced professionals and better understand the commitment required to pursue their aspirations.”
For the participants, the clinic offered an opportunity to learn from an athlete whose football journey began in northern Nigeria and progressed to the highest levels of the sport, making his experience a source of inspiration for aspiring players.
Commenting on the partnership, Ahmed Musa said: “Nigeria has incredible football talent, but talent alone is not enough. Young players need good coaching, regular competition and people who will guide them. I am proud to partner with MILO and share some of what football has taught me. My message to these players is simple: keep training, listen to your coaches and work hard every day to improve.”
Musa also called for greater investment in grassroots football, emphasizing the importance of giving young players access to quality coaching, structured development and regular competitive opportunities.
The MILO × Ahmed Musa Sports Clinic and Tournament builds on MILO’s longstanding commitment to youth development through sports in Nigeria. Through its school-based and grassroots sporting initiatives, MILO continues to create opportunities for young people to participate in sports, develop their abilities and embrace values that can support them both on and off the pitch.
